St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-20
THE IMPLEMENT OF TORTURE.


to which this questionable pleasure is carried
Oh in Minneapolis? fancy not. Mostpeople
have a vague, weird idea of what is opium
smoking and what are its surroundings, but
few know by practical experience or actual
observation or reliable information just
what enters into this species OF dissipation.
They do not know, perhaps, that in forty
different places in Minneapolis the pleas
ures of the poppy may be INDUCED in and
that in at least three other localities pri-
vate rooms are gorgeously fitted up for the
enjoyment of the great narcotic 1t is a
fact all the same.
have just hit the pipe.
In the interest of the great news-absorb-
ing public l have placed myself at the
mercy of a garlic smelling Chnaman and
submitted to his manipulations for the sole
purpose of being able to recount the story
of my sufferings. The other night l held
down fauteuil at the West hotel in COM
pany with bright young vagabond who
enjoys a good lunch route and after
wards picks his teeth and smokes
good cigar at the West. He is a fascinat-
ing talker and had succeeded in so arous-
ing my curiosity as TO the pipe that L i'll
duced him to nduct me into the mysteries.
He had told me of hours spent i'll Injuries
such as | had never known outside of the
Orient-in travellers taleS-and finally
brought me to the conclusion that the opin-
ion drought was only to be compared to a
trip on the wings of fancy superlnduced by
a liberal pinch of Monte ChristO'S hasheesh.
He had reveled in the bamboo while daily
ing with Hours who might easily be
Imagined special importatiOns from Per-
sian harem and had sucked the narghili,
Iounging on cushions bright hued from the
looms of Damascus and soft as elder down;
and he had inhaled the peoples of Cathey
from the hard surface of cot in the back
room of a laundry.
Yes. he would go: and we went
His knock on the door of Chinese
laundry on one of the cross streets near
Washington avenue, brought sleepy look
ing Celestial to the aperture and single
word spoken his ear proved the
open sesame. We were ushered to
rear room, where the vagabond carried
on brief conversation with the heather
in curlously commngled English, pigeon
English and sfmon-pure Chinese, the yaga-
bond producing the former, the Celestial
the second, and both indulging in the latter.
| was afterward told the Chinese phrases
for the pipe, the act of smoking. the opium
itself and the craving for it, as well as the
term by which he named me his chum-for
of the select cotere which is alone able to
gain admission TO these reeking dens
! observe me closely and never intimate
That you don't know all about it." was the
whispered Injunction of my mentor, as he
stretched himself on an notwithstanding
cot and mOtiOned me to StOny-hearted
lounge near at hand. The Chipaman opened
a trunk or chest and produced the nipple
ments of torture, consisting of the pipe,
spirit lamp, box of opium and a long. thin
needle of steel. pointed at one end and eX-
tending ten inches back to butt about the
size of "a lead pencil. watched him closely
The opium was in little box made of horn,
closed with metal ends, an inch and half
an diameter and two inches long.
The spirit lamp was lighted and
placed on stand and while he
opened the box of opium | narrowly OBJ
served the pipe. The stem was of bamboo,
twenty inches long and curiously embossed
with carved silver 1t was an inch thick
and the mouth piece had an opening that
would just about take in an ordinary lead
pencil. The bowl was set on about three
inches from the other end. 1t looked more
like spinning top than anything else and
was made of the finest of red clay-prOba-
blv a product of the fl ,Nery Kingdom. The
top of the bowl was s....,,thly spherical and
IN the center was an aperture about the
size of lead of a pencil. The implement
was worth, | was afterward told. about
$40.
The Chinaman was now at work.
be dipped the needle into the opium,
which was brownish paste of about the COLI
sistency of thick mucilage, and twirled it
about, bringing it out coated with the
pc7gy extract, just as glassblower brings
OF his blowpipe, covered with molten
glass. He rolled this about Oh the bowl of
The pipe. just as the glass worker does, and
reduced the little mess of opium to glob-
ule Oh the end Of the needle. Thrusting it
into the fame of the lamp, it softened ont, and
again he rolled it over the pipe and finally
inserting the needle in the little hole,
pressed the opium down until it became
disk. still cinging TO the needle. Again it
was rolled on the bowl and took the shape
as well as size of a small brown troche
when a deXtrous touch detached it from
the needle and left it adhering to the bowl,
directly over the little opening. The pipe
was then handed to the recumbent vaga-
bond. who closed his lips on the end while
the heather tilted the stem and held it over
the lamp SO that the opium troche was
brought in contact with the flame. AS it
Stewed under the heat the vagabond took a
deep inhalation, which lasted while l
counted ten; then another one, which eX-
hausted the opium, and he relinquished the
pipe and sank back on the cot.
1t was my turn now.
The heather duplicated his manlpula-
tons, and presently | grasped the stem and
was ready. The flame was applied, and
drew deep breath. 1t seemed as though
every muscle of my chest had suddenly re-
taxed. and | thought that breath would
never end. 1t did. though, and so did the
second, and | gently Swayed back upon the
lounge and prepared for experiences The
sensation WAS peculiar, but neither raptur-
Gus nor disagreeable. A calm, gentle
languor stole over NE, but with it came no
diminution of consciousness. | seemed to
know whether school kept or not but |
didn't care. While | was bordering the
second pipe came. and then third and
Gually fourth. With each pipe ] noticed
NO change in my powers of vOition, but
felt distinctly the increased effect Of the
drug. 1t seemed to lift weight from the
braih and at the same time quicken its i'm
aginatve faculties. Fancy, with big f,
took complete possession and swayed the
mind at will, though without seeming
effort. did not notice the vagabOnd. and
desire to close the eyes and let the fancy
range without bride and without approx
mate Influences seemed paramount This
might have been continuing yet, but the
vagabond touched me and we left the place.
The sensation was over
The cool night air seemed grateful after
the mouldy odOr of the quarter we had
just. left, though which had seemed to INV
stimulated imagination palace OF lnxury.
did not notice the heather as we passed
out, but at the same time remembered that
the vagabond gave him silver dollar and
repeated after him phrase which sounded
like: "Mah you bling. ki d." Then W.